Catch means for shutter releases on camera bodies



April 5, 1938. c. w. CRUMRINE CATCH MEANS FOR SHUTTER RELEASES ON CAMERA BODIES Filed June 26, 1937 mR 10 r.

N a 1% w F w v S Y e m u wk 1 rstenieds ss; 193s PATENT orFicF.

CATCH mums roa snu'rrsa anuissss on csmnui nonms Chester W. Crnmrine, Rochester, N. -Y., assignor v to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y.,

a corporation of New Jersey Application June 26, 1937, Serial No. 150,571 A. 120mm. (01.95-53) The present invention relates to a catch means for a shutter release on the camera body of a folding camera. and more particularly to an arrangement ofthe panel latch initially to release said'catch means upon unlatching, of the panel and to an arm onthe folding panel for finger member movably mounted in the camera body are known to the art. It is also recognized that such, finger members may be manually retracted with respect to the camera body to prepare the camera for transportation.

I Theprimary object, of the present invention is the arrangement of a catch means normally engaging theilnger member or manually operable means on the camera body to hold it in a retracted position and of a means which is necessarily operated during opening of the front panel of the camera to disengage such a catch means for normal extension of the finger member. Another obiect of the invention is the arrangement of the latch for the front panel to disengage the catch means for the release finger ,member when the latch is moved for disengagement of said front panel. A further object of the invention is the arrangement of an arm on the panel for holding the catch means in an inoperative position when the front panel is in full open position. Other and further objects of the invention will be suggested to those skilled in the art by the description which follows:

.11 8 above and other objects of the invention,

' u are attained in a folding camera having "a foldable front panel and a shutter actuating..mechanism including a. manually operable member in the camera body and for actuating a shutter assembly on the front panel, by the arrangement gaging theaforementioned catch means when the latch is operated for disengagement of the front panel and also to an arm on the front panel which maintains said catch means-in a disengaged position when the front panel, is fully open.

Reference is hereby made to the accompanying r drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar elements and wherein:

'5 Fig. 1 is aperspectiveview of .a folding camera equipped with a catch means and means for releasing the same according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial horizontal section through the camera body taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and showing the finger member on the camera 6 body in retracted position. Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectionthrough the camera body showing the folding panel. in closed position.

The invention is illustrated with respect to a 10 folding camera comprisingthe camera body, a folding panel, a shutter assembly and a shutter actuating mechanism including a manually operable member on the camera body.

The camera body includes a camera casing l6 l0 having side walls ii, an inner mechanism plate I! and provided with a recess l3.

The front panel I4 is operatively connected to the camera body in any conventional fashion, specifically disclosed herein as constituting ears I! on front panel I! and hinged to the side walls ll of the camera body by riyets IS. A photographic shutter I1 having an operating arm is supports a photographic objective I! and may be mounted upon the front panel ll in a known manner, such as upon a front plate 20 indicated in dotted lines in Pig. 1. v

The shutter actuating mechanism may be arrang in any of a variety of ways but has been illustrated as including an actuator, rod 2i which so is mounted bybrackets 22 upon frontpanel IL for rotation about a longitudinal axis. The shutter actuator rod 2| also includes a front upright portion 23 and a reanupright portion 24.

fiaid' shutter actuating mechanism also includes .35 a manually operable member on the-camera body s and which may comprise a slide 25 provided with slots 28 engaging headed pins 21 on innermechanism plate I2 for guiding said slide 25 in its transverse movement with respect-to the camera.- body. Said slide 25 includes an upright flangeto" which a rod "is attached. The rod 29 is provided with. a notch 30, extends through the side wall ll of the camera body and carries on its outerend a finger buttonll. 1

Slide .25 aiso'carries a lug 32 which is con- .nected to one end of agoil spring 33. The other end of coil spring II is attached to a pin it on mechanism platel! sothat the slide 25 is normally maintained with rod 29 and finger button 56 f 3! in extended position with respect'to the side the action of spring 33, the actuator rod 2| is rotated for actuation of the operating arm it of photographic shutter Furthermore, the jaw member 35 so engages upright portion 24 of actuator rod that the front panel |4 may be folded and moved to open position without interference and so that slide 25 and actuator rod 2| are always interconnected when the front panel i4 is moved to open position.

The latch means for the front panel |4 may comprise a tongue 36 on the forward end of front panel I4, a latching bar 31 slidably mounted in a known manner within camera casing i0 and an operating plunger 38 which is attached to latching bar 31 and which extends through the side wall H of the camera body. The construction thus far described merely provides a background for the novel features of the invention for it is already known that the photographic shutter I1 and photographic -objective l9 may be folded into the camera body recess |3 which is then covered by the front panel |4 when moved to a closed position and whereupon the latch bar 31 engages the tongue 36 to lock said panel H in closed position. It is also known that the operating plunger 38 may be moved to release tongue 36 from latch bar 31 and that folding panel |4- may be moved to an open position and that shutter |1 maybe moved to an operative position on the front panel |4 whereupon the.

shutter actuating mechanism becomes operative for actuation of operating arm 19 on shutter |1.

It is very desirable to arrange the manually operable member on the camera body so that it may be retracted and held in retracted position when the front panel is closed and for transportation of the camera. According to myinvention a catch means is provided so as to normally engage the manually operable member to maintain the same in a manually retracted position. Such a catch means may comprise a lever arm 39 which is intermediately pivoted on the side wall II by a headed stud 49 and which is spaced from said side wall Ii bya sleeve 4|.

A spring member 42 encircles headed stud 4||,'

has one end attached to a pin 43 also on side wall II and has the other end hooked over lever arm 39 sothat the lower end 44 of lever arm 39 is normally moved toward rod 29 and so that the upper end 45 of lever arm 39 is normally moved toward the operating'plunger 38 of the panel latch means. is moved to the closedposition illustrated in Fig. 3, the lever arm 39 assumes its normal position bearing on rod 29 so that manual retraction or depression of finger button 3| and rod 29 will bring notch 33 into engagement with the lower end 44 of lever arm 39 and said rod 29 and button II will be held in such retracted position. It will be understood that in closed position of panel l4 the upright portion 23 of actuator rod 2|,is inoperative with respect to the operating arm l3 of shutter I'I so that such manual retraction of .button 3| and rod 29 will not cause operation of shutter l1. Since the finger button 3| is now maintained close to the sidewall ll of casing l0 there will be'no possibility of said button 3| causing interference with clothing, etc., or being damaged during transportation of the camera.

The essence of the invention resides in the provision of means which are necessarily operatedduring opening of the front panel H to render the aforementioned catch means inoperative and so'that the finger member 3| and rod "may be moved'to their normally extended po- When the front panel l4 7 adapted in closed positio sitions and may be manually retracted for shutter actuation without being maintained in the retracted position which is desired when the camera "is to be transported. One such means may comprise a cam member 46 mounted on operating plunger 38 and arranged with respect to the upper end 45 of level arm 39 so that upon movement of plunger 38 to release latching bar 31 from tongue 36 the lower end 44 of lever arm 39 is moved out of notch 30 in rod 29 and coil spring 33 may function to extend rod 29 and finger button 3| from the side wall ll of the camera body. Since the catch means is disengaged or rendered inoperative only temporarily because the latch means is, only momentarily operated for release of the folding panel i4, it is desirable to provide a further means for mainvided upon one of the ears l5. Said arm 41 extends into the recess I3 of the camera body and engages a hook 48 on said lower end 44 of lever member 39 only when the foldii'ig'panel H has beerpmoved to the fully open'position illustrated in Fig. 1. Such arrangement of arm "maintains lever member39 in an inoperative position at all times when the front panel I4 is in open position so that the finger member or rod 29 and finger button 3| on the camera body may be repeatedly actuated for shutter operation without engaging the catch means. When front panel i4 is folded armlfl dlsengages hook 49 so that lever arm 39 normally returns to its operative position for engagement with notch 30 when rod 29 and finger button 3| are manually retracted.

Since many variations of the present invention may be accomplished without departing from the spirit thereof, the present disclosure is to be construed in an illustrative sense.

Having now particularly described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent 01' the United States and what I claim is:

- 1. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a panel operatlvely connected to said camera body, to cover said recess, and movable to an open position, and a shutter assembly on said panel and including an operating arm, of a shutter actuating means for actu-.

ating the shutter operating arm and including a manually operable member movably mounted on said camera body and movable to a retracted. position, a catch means normally engaging said manually operable member and for holding the same in a retracted position, and a means nec-. essarily operated during opening of said panel and for moving said catch means out of engagement with said manually operable member.

2. In a'photographicwamera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a panel operatively connected to said camera body, adapted in closed position to cover said recess,

and movable to an open position, a shutter assembly onsaid panel and including an operating arm, and a latch means between said panel and said camera body andfor holding said panel in closed position, of a shutter actuating means for v ed'on said camera'body, normally in an extended .'-'-position but movable to a retracted position, a catch means for holding said manually operable ,1 member in retracted position and operated by movement of said latch means for release of said panel to disengage said manually operable member, and an arm movable with said panel'and adapted upon movement of said panel to open position to engage said catch means and hold it out oi engagement with said manually operable member.

" 3. In a photographic camera. the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a

'j' panel operatively connected to said camera body and movable to a closed position for covering said recess, a shutter assembly mounted on said 5 panel and including an operating arm, and a latch '20.- means between said panel and said camera body and for holding said panel in closed position,oi' ;a shutter actuating means for actuating said shutter operating arm andincluding a manually operable member movably mounted on said cam- 25;- era body andmovable to a retracted position,

-"and a catch means for holding said manually op- "1 gerable member in retracted position, and operated by movement of said latch means for re- ;lease of said panel to disengage said manually I aobperable member of the shutter actuating means.

' 14. In a photographic camera, the combination with 'a camera body provided with a recess, a

panel operatively connected to said camera body a shutter actuating means for actuating said 40 shutter operating arm and including a manually operable member movably mounted on'said camera body, normally extending from said camera. body but, movable to a retracted position, and a catch means for holding said manually oper able member in retracted position, and operated by movement of said latcli means for release of said panel to disengage said manually operable member and to permit movement thereof to normally extended position.

5. In a photographic camera, the combination with a: camera body provided with a recess, a panel operatively connected to said camera body and movable to a closed position for covering said recess, a shutter assembly mounted on said panel and including an operating arm, and a latch means between said panel and said camera body and'for holding said panelv in closed position, of a shutter actuating means for actuating said shutter operating arm and including a manually op- 60 cubic member movably mounted on said camera body and movable to a retracted position, and a catch means; normallyengaging said manuallyoperable member to hold the same in retracted position and operated by movement of said latch means for release of said panelto disengage said manually operable member or the shutter actuating means.

6. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a 70, panel'operatively connected to said camera body and movable to a closed position for covering said recess, a shutter assembly mounted on said panel and including an operating arm, and a 1 latch meansflbetween said panel and said'camera (body and for holding said in sided posi- 3 tion, of a shutter actuating means for actuating said shutter operating arm and includingia manually operable member movably mounted on said I camera body, normally extending from saidcamera body but movable to a retracted position, and a catch means normally engaging said manually operable member to hold the same in retracted position and operated by movement of said latch means for release of said panel to disengage said manually operable memberand to permit movement thereof to normally extended position.

' 7. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a panel operatively connected to said camera'body, adapted in a closed position to cover said recess, and movable to an open position, and a shutter assembly on said panel and including an operating arm, 01 a shutter actuating means for actuating the shutter operating arm and including a manually operable member mounted on said camera body and movable to a retracted position, a catch means mounted on said camera body and for holding said manually operable member in reing arm, of a shutter actuating means for actufor holding said manually operable member in retracted position, and a latch means on said camera body for holding said panel in closed position,-and including a cam member which is moved by movement 01' said latch means for opening of said panel to move said catch means out .oi. engagement with said manually operable member.

9. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a panel ,operatively connected to said camera body, adapted in a closed position to cover said recess, and movable to an open position, and a shutter assembly on said panel and including an operating arm, of a shutter actuating means for actuating the shutter operating arm and including a the manually operable member.

10. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a panel operatively connected to said camera body, movable to a closed position for covering said recess and movable to an open position, and a shutter assembly on said panel and including an operating arm, or a shutter actuating means for panel to open position to engagesaid catch means and hold it out of engagement with said manually operable member.

11. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a panel operatively connected to said camera body, movable to a closed position for covering said recess and movable to an open position, and a shutter assembly on said panel and including an operating arm, of a shutter actuating means for actuating the shutter operating arm and including a manually operable member movably mounted on said camera body and movable to a.retracted position, a lever arm pivoted on said camera body and for normally engaging said manually operable member to hold the same in retracted position, and an arm mounted on said panel and adapted upon movement of said panel to open position to engage said lever arm and to hold it out of engagement with said manually-operable member.

12. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body provided with a recess, a panel operatively connected to said camera body, adapted in closed position to cover said recess, and movable to an open position, a shutter assembly on said panel and including an operating arm, and a shutter actuating means for actuating the shutter operating arm and including a manually operable member slidably mounted on said camera body, provided with a notch/and movable to a retracted position, of a lever arm intermediately pivoted on said camera body and normally urged for engagement of one end thereof with said notch when said manually operable member is in retracted position, a latch means on said camera body for holding said panel in closed position, and including a cam inember adjacent theother end of said lever arm for moving the same outof engagement with said notch upon movement of said latch means for opening of said panel, and an arm mounted on said panel and adapted upon movement of said panel to full open position to engage the other end of said lever arm and hold it out of engagement with said manually operable member.

CHESTER W. CRUMRINE. 

